Atoning for my movie-watching sins

My not being able to get into the Godfather has caused a fair amount of comment critical of my movie taste, and fair enough, I know it has quite a few passionate fans. It will stay that way I’m sure unless Coppola decides to make some ill-conceived prequels like the maker of a certain other 1970s-originated trilogy.

I think my problem is that I’ve not sat down and properly given the thing my full attention. I figure that it’s problematic that I’ve never seen it from the beginning and have therefore been unable to figure out who everyone is. I mean, I know who the actors are, but unless, say, Robert Duvall’s character is named “Robert Duvall” and is supposed to be a Hollywood actor, or he’s reprising a role he had in another movie, I don’t know who he is supposed to be. That said, at this stage I should stop offering excuses, I will attempt to watch the whole film from start to finish on DVD (assuming Blockbuster has it in stock). The other problem I think for me is that it’s always on TV and once something breaks for commercials, frankly I’m gone. My viewing habits are like this: A bit of Godfather, a bit of Gordon Ramsay yelling at someone, Robot Chicken, The Simpsons (if it’s a good one), some checking BBC World Service, seeing what “real” situation the directors have set up for Gene Simmons this week, some… wait, was I watching some kind of 1970s mafia film?

Perhaps it would be better if I had been old enough to see it, or alive, when it came out in theatres. I suppose I could have rented it before, but when you go to the video store, who recommends renting The Godfather anyway? I mean, what kind of idiot hasn’t seen The Godfather in its entirety anyway? I know enough to fake it at parties, “oh yeah, Godfather, greatest movie, toll booth, horse head, offer that cannot be refused, Brando, Coppola, star-studded cast, day of my daughter’s wedding, lots of man-kisses.” Everyone can fake it, but, you know, I’d prefer not to. Of course taste is so subjective, it is possible that I watch the thing and not enjoy it too. What happens then, should I watch for the mob with pitchforks and torches? Will IMDb no longer load on my computer? Will I feel guilty that my favourite movie made by any Coppola right now is Sofia’s Lost in Translation? (It’s in my top-three overall as well, don’t hate, I had a Scarlett Johansson phase.)